Got Ice?

[billski]

I sometimes get too caught up in expensive sports like skiing and miss the simple pleasures of youth. The other day, I was shopping for an xmas tree when I heard a lot of really loud screaming from a nearby park. The local hill, a local sledding favorite since the ice age was loaded with kids. Man, I never saw anyone fly down that hill so fast or so far. Getting back up took either crampons or a bombadier (or so it it seemed).


See, ice is good for something, when kept in it's place!
:beer: Sorry, no reebs for the kidz...

 

[AMAC2233]

Indeed, you've got to love winter in New England - not only sledding on ice, but XC skiing, snowball fights, and POND SKATING!! (when I saw the title of this thread, I actually thought that is what you were referring to...)

I do remember though always having both a tube and a sled ready for sledding as a young kid: the tube for powder and the sled for ice

 

[smitty77]

and POND SKATING!! (when I saw the title of this thread, I actually thought that is what you were referring to...)

I set up a small skating rink in the back yard for the 5 y/o. I've got a 30'x25' area covered with 6" of ice right now.

 

[AMAC2233]

I set up a small skating rink in the back yard for the 5 y/o. I've got a 30'x25' area covered with 6" of ice right now.

Funny you mentioned that, I built a rink every year in my yard for 8 (?) years. Got better at it every year but it seemed the weather got just kept getting worse. For the first year, we bought one of those build-a-rink kits at Home Depot - big mistake. The next year I just gathered a bunch of neighbors and we hand-cut a bunch of 2x4's to custom-fit the yard. It worked well, and I used the same pieces for the next 7 years. Finding good tarps can be a challenge though, but I finally found a good place in Dorchester about 4 years into it. The year we stopped putting it up everyone around town was asking about it, since I live on a main street. I miss it, too, but I don't miss sweeping / watering it every night, shoveling snow and sleet off after every storm, and fatal rips in the tarp that are awful to repair. So now we just use the local ponds, which is great, but nothing like having your own! Enjoy it.

 

[davidhowland14]

our town flooded an outdoor basketball court and made an ice rink yesterday.

 

[smitty77]

So now we just use the local ponds, which is great, but nothing like having your own! Enjoy it.

Thanks, I was able to get the little guy out on his new skates the other night. Just seeing the smile on his face made it all worth it.

I know what you mean about the rips. I think I had a minor leak at the "shallow" end that kept it from getting frozen (the water seemed to recede as it was freezing, leaving very brittle cover), I just used some cheap poly I got at Wal-Mart and duct-taped it together, and used piled-up snow to form the sides. Let me tell you, I was sweating it out until the last two storms came - I thought my sides may melt away and take the rink with it. Now with 2' of cover, I don't have to worry for a while. Next year will be a bigger rink, with a better poly underlayment, and wooden sides. Then it probably won't get below 25* consistently for the whole season.

 

[billski]

At least in Vermont

I just used some cheap poly I got at Wal-Mart and duct-taped it together, and used piled-up snow to form the sides.

Duct/Duck Tape solves all problems. At least in Vermont 8)